Roald Dahl (Matilida)

As part of our commitment to supporting wellbeing and continuing to strengthen relationships within our local community, we invited our school family to support Samaritans on Brew Monday, the third Monday in January. Brew Monday is a national reminder of the importance of reaching out, sharing a cuppa and taking time to talk and truly listen to one another.

We were delighted to welcome a small group of parents who came into school for a cuppa, biscuit and a relaxed catch up. Such a warm and welcoming atmosphere, providing a valuable opportunity to pause, connect and support one another. These simple moments reflect our belief that strong relationships and human connection are central to a happy and caring school community.

This event was a meaningful expression of our Catholic life in action and strongly reflected our school motto, Be kind to one another. By opening our doors and creating time to talk, listen and be together, we strengthened the sense of care and belonging at the heart of our school. Opportunities like this remind us of the importance of looking out for one another and continuing to build a supportive, compassionate and connected school community where everyone feels valued and heard.

SAMARITAN'S ADVICE

How to reach out to someone

Reaching out to someone could help them know that they are valued and someone cares. If you’ve noticed someone has gone quiet in the group chat or you haven’t heard from them in a while, reach out and check in. A simple message can mean a lot to someone who is going through a difficult time.

Just reaching out and asking someone how they are can give them the opportunity to open up about how they’re feeling. Don’t forget to put aside some time to catch up with them properly, maybe over a cuppa.

How to be a good listener

Once someone starts to share how they’re feeling, it’s important to listen. This could mean not offering advice, not trying to identify what they’re going through with your own experiences and not trying to solve their problems.

For more suggestions about how to be a good listener, take a look at our SHUSH active listening tips and our little tips to help someone open up.

Flu is spreading earlier than usual this year. More people are getting sick. There are easy ways to help stop it spreading. Please remind your child to wash their hands often - especially before eating, after using the toilet, and after coughing and sneezing.   

Encourage them to cover their nose and mouth when they cough or sneeze, and to wash their hands afterwards.

If they don’t have a tissue, they can cough or sneeze into their elbow or sleeve, not their hands.  

The flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself from flu. If your child did not get their flu vaccine at school, you can bring them to a drop-in flu clinic this Saturday morning, 13th December at Kensington Clinic, 9:30am–12:30pm for school-aged children. No booking is needed. The flu vaccine helps protect your child and family. It is safe and cannot give your child the flu.

Children can still come to school if they have a slight cough or a common cold, (like a runny nose, sore throat or headache), as long as they are otherwise well and do not have a high temperature. But if they have a high temperature, keep them off school until the temperature has gone.

NHS : Further information & guidance about Flu

Our Y3 & Y4 athletes did us proud on Friday afternoon (05.12.2025) as they represented St Sebastian's in the city final of the Indoor Athletics competition. The event, organised by LSSP and held at Liverpool Hope University, brought together ten qualifying schools from across the city. The standard was incredibly high, and our children rose to the challenge with determination and enthusiasm. They took part in a wide range of track events, including over/under relays and 1, 2 and 4 lap hurdle and sprint relays, as well as field events such as chest pass, speed bounce, five strides, javelin, standing long jump and vertical jump.

During our whole school celebration assembly earlier in the day, I had already shared with the school how proud I was of our children for reaching the city final. This is a remarkable accomplishment for a one-form entry school competing against much larger schools, and it reflects both their talent and the hard work they have put in to qualify. It truly brings our school motto to life: "Only my best will do. Be kind to one another".

Before leaving for the event, we talked about the importance of sportsmanship. I had the privilege of accompanying the children and it was wonderful to cheer them on and witness first hand what fantastic ambassadors they were for St Sebastian's.

Although we did not win the overall competition, we were delighted when St Sebastian's was named by the organisers as the winner of the Sportsmanship Fair Play Award. This recognised our children's excellent manners, their willingness to support pupils from other schools and the fairness and respect they showed throughout the afternoon. It is a credit to our whole staff team that this is so evident in the way our children conduct themselves.

A huge well done to every child who took part and heartfelt thanks to Mrs Fitchett Sabbagh and Mrs L McCormick for the time and dedication they give after school to prepare our pupils for these opportunities. We could not be prouder, and we look forward to competing in more events throughout the year.

Broughton Hall Catholic High School are launching their Food Pantry initiative to support families within our local community.  

If you have anyone that you feel would benefit from Broughton Hall's Food Pantry, please contact the school directly. There is no cost for anyone who wishes to access this provision.

All are welcome at CAFOD’s annual Christmas Fun Run at Wavertree Sports Park, L15 4LE on Saturday 27 December 2025. Registration open from 10am, and the run sets off at 11am. 3k and 5k route options available, pram friendly route and dogs on leads are welcome too. Festive attire is encouraged! We’d love to raise more sponsorship from this event. For a sponsor form or interest in volunteering at the event, please email Colette on cbyrne@cafod.org.uk or sign up now by visiting cafod.org.uk/christmasfunrun  

Entry Fees: £10 adults | £5 children | £20 family ticket

Please Note: Due to planned works on The Mystery Park, this year's route will be adjusted to avoid the area. We’re looking for some extra help to marshal the route, as well as helping with the sale of raffle tickets and hot drinks on the day. If you know someone who could help us out, please do get in touch!

Jubilee School Celebration – 21st November 2025
Today, it was a real privilege to gather as a whole school community to celebrate all we have achieved together in this special Jubilee Year. Guided by Pope Francis’ call to mark the Jubilee with “deep faith, lively hope and active charity,” we took time to reflect on how our children and staff have lived out these values each day.

As one of more than 1,000 schools to make a Jubilee Pledge, we reaffirmed our commitment to Catholic Social Teaching and to standing alongside our global sisters and brothers. Throughout the year, our community has prayed together, deepened our understanding of global issues, supported local action and raised funds for CAFOD. I could not be more proud of the compassion and commitment our children have shown.

Throughout today, our children took part in a series of meaningful activities to explore what it means to be Pilgrims of Hope:

• Reception – God’s Wonderful World Pledge Garden: Our youngest children created a thoughtful garden of promises, thanking God for His creation and pledging to care for the world.
• Year 1 – Little Helpers, Big Hearts Pledge Chain: Year 1 worked together to make a chain of good deeds, showing how small acts of kindness can make a big difference.
• Year 2 – Caring for Creation Eco-Shield: Children designed shields symbolising how we can protect and care for God’s earth.
• Year 3 – Brighten Up Our World Pledge Sunbursts: Year 3 created vibrant sunbursts filled with pledges of hope and kindness.
• Year 4 – Guardians of God’s Creation Silhouette Art: Through dramatic silhouette artwork, children expressed what it means to be stewards of creation, using shape, symbolism and colour to share their message.
• Year 5 – Voices for Justice Posters: Year 5 produced powerful posters speaking up about inequalities linked to climate change, each including their own personal pledge for justice.
• Year 6 – Hope in Action Banners: Drawing on Catholic Social Teaching, our oldest children created banners showing how we can put our faith into action and bring hope to others.

We were also delighted to welcome our families and parish community into school at the end of the day for a special Celebration of the Word. It was a wonderful opportunity to gather in prayer, give thanks for all we have shared this year and look ahead with renewed hope for the year to come.

As we continue our journey as Pilgrims of Hope, let us keep sharing the light of hope and the message of God’s love. A better world needs all of us... our kindness, our courage and our willingness to act.

Together, we will keep walking forward in faith, working for a world where every person and the earth, can truly flourish.

Please refer to our calendar for more information about what is on offer for all our families to enjoy!